Toby

somewhere in northern Germany

@Dodo Awareness itself has no qualities. There is no love in Awareness if you only focus on Awareness. But in Awareness arises the "world" and one of it's primary qualities is (unconditional) love. You could tap into that by feeling Awareness in your body, for example in the heart chakra or the 2nd chakra. Just see how you sense Awareness in your body and love will be there.

The mistake that you make is that certain states can to a degree accessed even before a complete ego-"death" or a complete "self"-"death". You can easily transcend your ego and have a taste of unconditional love or other qualities as well. And I guess most of the people here have had such "tastes" and they can report them, even if they are back in their ego and seem to have "lost" it.

I cannot really believe that you never experienced unconditional love first hand in meditation and recognized that it is an intrinsic part of you. I don't know I somehow assume that everyone at least had a glimpse of it.

Of course there is unconditional love. It's a quality of who everyone is. Doesn't mean you have to be friends with everyone. You can love them, but you don't have to spend a lot of time with them.

Is this "friend" you or why are you so involved in his story?

He has a health condition which gets worse by teaching and travelling long distances. Could be one reason. But maybe he will come again. The schedule for the following year is often set in late summer and the sales start somewhere in autumn. If he comes again you have to be quick.

Was there near Utrecht in 2015 and 2016.

Be Love and get crucified. - Jesus.

£300.

It's not that It's better not to face that fear but to face it more slowly. I don't know how it works in Holland but I assume you either have to wait (which is not that big of a deal imo) or pay it fully yourself. I would look for therapists that are specialised in "Somatic Experiencing" as this is in my experience (of over 12 years) one of the best approaches for that. In addition if they also offer NARM and are interested in any kind of spirituality that would be good. You will probably need way less sessions compared to more traditional approaches to see the benefits. You can also read these books on it and they are really good to get an understanding: - Somatic Experiencing in depth overview: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1556439431/ - Somatic Experiencing "workbook": https://www.amazon.com/dp/159179658X/ - NARM (more advanced; it's better to have a good grip of SE first): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1583944893/ Therapists doing Somatic Experiencing: http://www.traumahealing.nl/therapeuten/ If you are living in Amsterdam I recommend him (I don't know him personally but I've seen him at Isaac Shapiro's meetings and also on an Adyashanti retreat if I'm not mistaken): http://www.traumahealing.nl/therapeuten/noord-holland/koen-verzellenberg-2-2/

Yes I've read it. Edit: or at least I bought it and read some of it. Decent book. If you like Ramesh, Nisargadatta and Ramana it would be a good read.

What you talk about here is stage green imo.

@Timotheus Several things he told himself. In addition to that I heard Adyashanti talk about it on a retreat when the subject of "did not search and got awakened" came up and he told a few details and told that Eckhart did search. I don't 100% remember what he said, but recordings of this retreat could be purchased on his website.

I guess you have a different definition of "subtle experiences". You think of them more as "mindful experiences". And from that standpoint I agree with you. I was talking more about things like chasing spiritual highs like bliss which is actually not mindfulness.

What is the difference if someone who longs for a Ferrari and someone who longs for exceptional subtle or mystical experiences? There is none. Both are ego.

You have to be cautious not to shift your personal ego to a group-ego. Group-egos are not beyond-ego, even if they seem like it.

@Timotheus

The problem is: you cannot teach or invite awakening to people when you are not awake yourself. Well, you can, but it's not going to be very effective and might create a huge mess even with the best of intentions.

From the ones alive and from the ones that speak english: Adyashanti and Isaac Shapiro. Other than that I like less famous ones who mostly speak german. "Dead" ones would be mainly Nisargadatta Maharaj and Ramana Maharshi.

It's like splitting hairs. Imo it's pretty much the same. But of course it depends on what "map" you use and how you define the words.

Ramana Maharshi on Siddhis;

Just as part of an exploration and how to be in relationship with so called paranormal phenomena I thought it would be a good idea to post videos and other resources on this subject: - Shinzen Young https://youtu.be/i288Lnb7NOk?t=3m25s - Adyashanti / Francis Bennett https://youtu.be/hw47wwOUjuY?t=29m05s - OWK Edgar Hofer (german) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJVCda05S5I - Jörg Wedereit (german; lives without food or water most of the time and also works as a spiritual teacher) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ohUBTALxIg Comments and other resources welcome.